Celebrity May 8, 2025 Thursday 17:22 Sani
On the 8th, according to the South Korean police, former WINNER member Nam Tae Hyun was involved in a DUI traffic accident in the early hours of April 27, and the Seoul Yongsan Police Station has initiated an investigation into the DUI suspicion.
At around 4:10 a.m. on that day, Nam Tae Hyun was driving under the influence near the Banpo Bridge on the north side of the Han River in Seoul, when he attempted to overtake and hit the central reservation, fortunately causing no casualties. At the time of the incident, Nam Tae Hyun’s blood alcohol level was above 0.08%, enough to have his license revoked.
Prior to this, Nam Tae Hyun was implicated in a drug scandal in 2022 by ‘Heart Signal 3’ cast member Seo Min, where it was found after investigation that they purchased 0.5g of a virus through Telegram and mixed it into alcohol for consumption. Nam Tae Hyun was sentenced to one year in prison with two years probation in January last year. Additionally, Nam was involved in a drug investigation in March 2023, and was fined 6 million Korean won for a DUI incident during the drug investigation. 
Due to the DUI incident occurring during his probation period, the police applied for an arrest warrant on the 2nd of this month. However, after a substantial examination of the necessity of arrest (pre-arrest questioning) on the 7th, the court rejected the arrest request, stating ‘no risk of evidence loss’.
Nam Tae Hyun had originally planned to participate in a music festival at the Hongdae Small Theater on the 6th of this month and release a new album on the 9th, but he suddenly canceled his performance on the 4th after the DUI incident. It is reported that he decided to cancel the performance due to overwhelming criticism from society regarding his comeback. Nam Tae Hyun had posted on SNS in March this year, ‘Every day, I am sincerely reflecting and repenting. I hope to bring comfort through music to those who are waiting for me.’ The content has since been deleted. 
In addition, Nam Tae Hyun debuted as a member of the boy group WINNER in 2014, and after leaving the group in 2016, he formed the band South Club and continued his activities as a singer-songwriter. In July 2023, before the drug case judgment, Nam Tae Hyun appeared on the KBS 1TV current affairs program ’60 Minutes Tracking’, revealing his life in a drug rehabilitation center. Nam Tae Hyun stated that he had received psychiatric prescriptions during his entertainment career, taking tranquilizers, diet pills, and other medications. His unemployment due to the pandemic worsened his depression, leading to addiction. In October of the same year, Nam Tae Hyun attended a parliamentary health and welfare committee as a reference person to discuss the drug rehabilitation process, attracting public attention.
Due to the controversies surrounding DUI and drug use, Nam Tae Hyun is currently on hiatus. 